Christmas Eve Dinner in Taipei

David, Chia, Taylor, Solomon and I had Christmas Eve dinner in our apartment.  We had a combination of American and Taiwanese food.  It was a wonderful meal.

Boiled peanuts from a street vendor.

Water chestnuts from another street vendor.

Here's a water chestnut that has been opened.  You eat the inside portion which is pictured on the right.

Homemade vegetable beef soup made by Chia.

I purchased these shrimp from the market in the morning - they were alive!

Taylor made pasta with fresh shrimp and salmon.

Chia prepared quinoa salad.

A cake from the bakery with a reindeer, and a Happy Birthday star.

The best part of Christmas Eve?

Watching Solomon open his three gifts was a joy - even though he had a fever.

Merry Christmas from Taipei!!!

Friday Adventure - Treetop Walk at Guanyin Mountain

It's Friday.  Solomon and Chia often go on an adventure on Friday, and Taylor and I are joining in the fun today.

We take the orange MRT to the end of the line and wait at the bus stop.

I have included this photo so you can see the contrast we experience today.  This is the end of the Orange MRT Line.

 Chia figures out that the bus won't come for 90 minutes, so we hop into a taxi and head for the Guanyin Mountain Visitor Center. After a 20 minute drive, first through city, then through twisty mountain roads we arrive at our destination high above Taipei.

There are many trails to choose from, but we choose the Treetop Trail, which is a boardwalk built at tree top level.  The walk is gentle.  We are in the treetop but we can also see the city of Taipei in the distance.

We are walking in the trees.

We can see Taipei down below.

Here's a surprise.  A Buddhist monastery nestled into the mountain.

Across the road this beautiful statue overlooks a pavilion and small temple.

A hidden Buddhist Monastery is the perfect place for Grandpa and Solomon to contemplate life.

Another little Monastery.

According to Chia, this is a poem reminding daughters to be good to their mother in laws, because some day they too will be a mother in law.

Another Buddha.

Papayas

Coming down the mountain to the bus stop.  These stairs are steep and uneven.

Whoa!   Look what's at the bottom of the steps.

A big Buddhist Monastery.  At the bottom of the steps on the right is a newly arrived nun.

This was certainly a surprise at the end of our hike.  This photo is taken from the bus stop.

Solomon and I are on the bus, ready to go down the mountain.

Today's adventure was fabulous!!!

Childhood - A Reminder

Rongxi Park.

And when you're not having fun, have some quiet time together.

Longjiang Park.

Plastic Bag Innovation

Since we have been coming to Taipei, I have been impressed with the use of plastic bags to carry multiple cups of coffee.  They seem more ecologically sound than those heavy, paper cardboard affairs that our coffee shops use.  The plastic feels like the compostable bags I use in my kitchen food scrap bin at home.

Light weight plastic bags make it easy to carry hot coffee.

Today, when we went to 7-Eleven to buy three cups of coffee, we encountered these.

What are these?  A children's art project perhaps?

Coffee carrier bags!

I was so impressed I had to share them with you.  They are very light weight and feel like paper.  Yet they are strong enough to carry hot coffee.  I wonder how large ones would work for groceries?

Buddha Fruit, Sugar Apple Update

The fruit didn't turn black, like Wikipedia informed me.  However, it became very soft.  I broke it open with my fingers and voila!  Delicious sweetness.  It tastes and has the texture reminiscent of vanilla pudding.  You do have to spit out the seeds, but that is a minor inconvenience.

The lady in the market was right!  I did need to buy this.

The Answer to My Question

 這些是糖蘋果.

These are sugar apples.

Before knowing what these were, I cut one open, cut off the peel and removed the seeds.  The verdict: crunchy and tasteless.  I wondered if they should be cooked. Are they a fruit or a vegetable?

Then I learned that they are sugar apples also known as Buddha fruit.  When the peel turns somewhat black, like a banana, you cut it open and it should be fragrant, sweet and creamy.  You're supposed to be able to eat it with a spoon.

Nothing Says Christmas Like

This guy.

Last night Chia, Taylor, Solomon and I took the MRT to New Taipei City Hall to see the Christmas Wonderland.  I suppose you could say that this area is like Rockefeller Center in New York City with all the holiday lights and crowds.  Of course, it is Taiwan style so it's not quite the same.  It was festive though.

The plaza in front of City Hall is quite beautiful.  This is before all the Christmas lights were turned on so I imagine it very magical in the dark.

Solomon is watching this cunning machine blow up a helium balloon, and attach a string.

Yes, there is Christmas, or holiday spirit, in Taipei.  However, the best of the season is right here in our apartment.

What is this?

這是什麼

What is this?

I successfully purchased guava and oranges at the market this morning.  After handing over my money, the lady pointed out these and I could tell she wanted me to buy them.  I asked what they were, and she told me.  The problem is I can ask, "這是什麼", but I can't understand the answer. She showed me with her hands that they need to be peeled.  I told her "No", and then a man drove up on his motorcycle and motioned to them.  He bought a big bag.  Nothing like peer pressure to get me shopping.  So here I am with 4 of them.  I'll keep you posted when I figure them out.

Other news on the language front:

I've been ordering coffee all wrong.  When I order from our regular lady at 7 Eleven, she always hands me Taylor's black coffee and I hear her say, "Monsieur."  I thought maybe she thinks we are French and that that particular cup of coffee is for monsieur.  Well...............that's not the case.

I've been asking for "Yi bei latte" (one latte) and "Yi be hei kaffei" (black coffee).  I've been to Taipei 5 times and I just learned this week that I should be ordering "Yi bei na tia kaffei" (latte) and "Yi bei mei shi kaffei" (American style coffee).  When my lady hands me Taylor's coffee, she is not speaking French, she is saying "Mei shi".

I've been a little discouraged in my language acquisition.  I'm at the point in our trip where, it seems too hard to try to talk outside the house.  Speaking Mandarin is much easier in Portland, in my class or with my two study partners, Anni and Ty.  I have been thinking I should just give up and go back to knitting.  Then I remembered, I'm learning Mandarin so I can speak to this guy.

Solomon and Professor Dennen at David's office at Chihlee University.

What do we do in our spare time?

Hmmm................often Taylor and I read, or take naps if Soup isn't at our house.  But when we have the strength and time we take walks through neighborhoods new to us in Taipei. Like any large city, this one has many different intriguing communities throughout.  One only has to walk a block or two, and you are suddenly in an entirely different environment.

This temple was a pleasant surprise we discovered walking down a side street.

The temple is small, but exquisite, and quiet.  I could tell someone had been here though because the incense was still burning.

Diagonally across the street from the temple is this little Christian church, all decked out for Christmas.

Back out on the main street of a busy business district, I came across this Santa and sleigh in a water fountain.

We have discovered that IKEA is a good place to use the restroom, or to exercise a toddler.  Except for the writing, it looks like IKEA anywhere.

The Confucian Temple in Taoyuan City provides a moment of peace and beauty.

Part of what we love about Taiwan are the contrasts.  In spite of living among such a large population, we can always find a quiet corner.